Brief Candle

by Kate Pennington

Overview

At 13, Emily is tall, restless and impatient - ladylike she certainly isn't! Emily despises such things as needlework, but she has a vivid imagination and is a keen artist and, along with her talented sister, Charlotte, loves to write. But Emily stumbles upon a real-life story, when she encounters the vagabond Heslington while out walking her beloved dog, Captain, on the Yorkshire Moors. Heslington is hiding out in an abandoned cottage, on the run from someone, but claims he is guilty of nothing. All he can tell Emily is that he is passionately in love with a Miss Martha Holmes, but has been forbidden from seeing her. Martha's family believe Heslington is only after her money, but he is prepared to live like a pauper, he says, if he can only be with the girl he loves. Touched by his story, Emily finds herself drawn into the whole sorry mess, acting as a reluctant go-between for Martha and Heslington, but convinced she is doing the right thing. But when Heslington reveals his dark side, Emily finds herself doubting him, not knowing what to believe. Is Heslington the love-torn romantic hero of her imaginings or he is mad...?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781444909609
Publisher:	Hachette Children's
Publication date:	10/06/2011
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	519 KB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kate Pennington is a pseudonym for a very successful, million-selling author. She has chosen to publish with a different name because her new work is a major departure from her established work to date - as she writes about favourite, and much loved, areas of history and literature (which formed the backbone to her post-graduate studies in literature).

Editorial Reviews

Fans will enjoy the universally accessible view of an ill–fated love and the dreamy, restless teen who acts on its behalf.

Booklist

Authors will tell you that one of the questions they are asked most often is "where did you get your ideas?" Readers will delight in this tale of the Brontd sisters and their brother Branwell because it offers a window into their lives as young people. In fact, mature readers will be inspired to reach for Wuthering Heights after finishing this historical novel in an effort to see if the inspiration for Heathcliff came from Emily's experience with the mysterious renegade, Heslington. She befriends this outlaw who is hiding in the hills above the moor and eventually becomes the liaison between him and his lover, Martha Holmes. Though she has doubts about Martha's commitment, she is drawn to Heslington's passion for Martha and, more likely, to a young man willing to risk anything for love. At one point, Emily is held as hostage in an abandoned cabin after he is accused of killing Martha's aging father. Mr. Brontd and a search party finally track them down, and though Martha and Heslington escape, Martha eventually returns to her inheritance and the comforts of a wealthier life. The reader also discovers that Martha and Heslington are related, through an affair with Martha's father and the housekeeper, and that her father died of natural causes. A captivating read, especially for those interested in where inspiration might come from. KLIATT Codes: JS--Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2004, Trafalgar Square, 262p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Annette Wells

KLIATT

Gr 6-9-This novel, written in language and tone that echo the Bront's' work, takes place at the parsonage at Haworth, Yorkshire, when Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell are in their teens. The bleak winter months keep the family confined indoors where they write tales about the imaginary realms of Angria and Gondal. Emily, 14, finds freedom from her siblings and her chores by wandering the moors with her beloved dog. On one of her rambles, she encounters an outcast young man named Heslington. His tale of love for wealthy yet unattainable Martha Holmes intrigues Emily, and she resolves to help him by not revealing his whereabouts, thus thwarting a manhunt. While this is Emily's story, the other characters are well drawn and the plot includes enough adventure to hold readers' attention. Those who enjoy period fiction will find this a good read and may be drawn to the Bront's' novels.-Kathryn Kosiorek, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Breathlessly described as the pseudonym of a bestselling author, one Kate Pennington spins a meretricious fictionalization of the lives of the Bronte family. Framed by the fractured memories of a servant named Tabitha, the young Brontes (Charlotte, Emily, Anne and their brother Branwell) try to study and teach each other, making up fabulous stories and tales to keep away the grayness of their lives as motherless curate's children. Emily loves the heathered moors deeply, and roams them with her dog Captain. It's while exploring that Emily comes across Heslington, an outcast from another house, who's in love with that family's daughter, Martha. Basically, the entire story of Heathcliff and Cathy from Wuthering Heights is retold as a series of unfortunate events involving Martha and Heslington; Emily is a witness and reluctant participant. This endeavor completely undercuts the imagination of the remarkable trio of sibling writers and turns it into a trivial recasting of local historical gossip. Ugh. (Historical fiction. 12+)

Kirkus Reviews